Dilshaan

Dilshaan (foaled 22 February 1998) is a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a brief racing career he won two of his four races between September 2000 and June 2001. After finishing second in a minor race on his racecourse debut he was moved up in class to record an upset victory in the Group One Racing Post Trophy in October. In the following spring he returned from absence of more than six months to establish himself as a major contender for The Derby with a win in the Dante Stakes. He ran poorly in the Derby and his racing career was subsequently ended by injury. He has been a success as a breeding stallion siring various event horses who are now coming through with successful results.

Dilshaan
SireDarshaan
GrandsireShirley Heights
DamAvila
DamsireAjdal
SexStallion
Foaled22 February 1998[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederSaeed Manana
OwnerSaeed Suhail
TrainerMichael Stoute
Record4: 2-1-0
Earnings£190,612
Major wins
Racing Post Trophy (2000)
Dante Stakes (2001)

Background

Dilshaan is a bay horse with no white markings[2] bred in the United Kingdom by Saeed Manana. He was sired by Darshaan who won the Prix du Jockey Club for the Aga Khan in 1984 before becoming a successful breeding stallion. The best of his other offspring included Dalakhani, Mark of Esteem and Kotashaan.[3] Dilshaan's dam Avila showed little ability as a racehorse, failing to win in two races as a three-year-old in 1992.[4] Avila's grandmother Sweet Mimosa won the Prix de Diane and was a full-sister to both Levmoss and Le Moss.[5]

In October 1999 the yearling was offered for sale at Tattersalls and was bought for 190,000 guineas by the bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson.[6] He entered the ownership of Saeed Suhail and was sent into training with Michael Stoute at Newmarket.

Racing career

2000: two-year-old season

Dilshaan made his debut in a Novice race (for horses with no more than one previous win) over seven furlongs at Sandown Park Racecourse on 13 September 2000. Ridden by the veteran Pat Eddery in a five-runner field he started 7/2 third choice in the betting behind Attache and Gleaming Blade, both of whom had already won maiden races. He was slightly hampered when Gleaming Blade hung to the left in the last quarter mile but recovered to finish second, a length and a half behind Attache. Despite his defeat, the colt was then moved up sharply in class for the Group One Racing Post Trophy at Doncaster Racecourse on 21 October. He was ridden by Johnny Murtagh and started a 14/1 outsider in a field of ten juvenile colts. The Aidan O'Brien-trained Freud was made favourite, whilst the other contenders included Tamburlaine, Grandera, CD Europe (Coventry Stakes), Darwin, Bonnard (runner-up in the Futurity Stakes) and Dayglow Dancer (runner-up in the Prix de Condé). Dilshaan started slowly and Murtagh restrained him at the rear of the field before switching to the outside and beginning to make progress in the straight. Tamburlaine opened up a clear advantage in the last quarter mile, but Dilshaan continued to make ground, gained the advantage 100 yards from the finish and drew away to win by two and a half lengths. Bonnard was three quarters of a length behind Tamburlaine in third, five lengths clear of Darwin in fourth.[7][8] Stoute responded to the colt's win by saying "I certainly wasn't confident he'd win but he was entitled to run well. He's done it really nicely and is a horse with a lot of scope. He's an interesting prospect and will need to go further than a mile next season".[9]

2001: three-year-old season

Dilshaan began his second season in the Dante Stakes (a major trial race for the Epsom Derby) over ten and a half furlongs at York Racecourse on 16 May. He was made the 9/4 favourite against five opponents including Celtic Silence (Chesham Stakes), Olden Times (Feilden Stakes), Storming Home and Rosi's Boy (Newmarket Stakes). Ridden by Kieren Fallon he tracked the leaders as Celtic Silence set the pace before moving up to make his challenge two furlongs out. Dilshaan took the lead approaching the final furlong and stayed on well in the closing stages to win by half a length and a neck from Celtic Silence and Storming Home.[10] The colt's success meant that Michael Stoute had two leading contenders for the Derby, having won the 2000 Guineas with Golan. The trainer commented "It was a good solid performance... I am delighted he has won and I feel he will make further progress... He's a very placid, likeable colt". Fallon said of the winner "I've always liked this fellow. The other morning I rode him in work and he was impressive. I thought he would come home alone here. He's gone to the front and done nothing... he was idling".[11] The leading bookmakers responded by making him third favourite in the ante-post betting market for the Derby.[12]

In the 2001 Epsom Derby on 9 June Dilshaan, ridden by Murtagh started the 5/1 fourth favourite behind Galileo, Golan and the Lingfield Derby Trial winner Perfect Sunday. After turning into the straight in fifth place he made no further progress and finished seventh of the twelve runners behind Galileo.

Dilshaan sustained a joint injury shortly after the Derby and missed the rest of the season. He remained in training as a four-year-old but suffered a recurrence of his previous injury and his retirement was announced in July 2002.[13]

Stud record

Dilshaan was retired from racing to become a breeding stallion. He was based at the Tara Stud in County Meath[14] before moving to the Park House Stud in County Carlow in 2011.[15] He has sired several minor winners but has made little impact.[16]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Dilshaan (GB), bay stallion, 1998[1]
Sire
Darshaan (GB)
1981		 Shirley Heights (GB)
1975		 Mill Reef Never Bend
Milan Mill
Hardiemma Hardicanute
Grand Cross
Delsy (FR)
1972		 Abdos Arbar
Pretty Lady
Kelty Venture VII
Marilla
Dam
Avila (GB)
1989		 Ajdal (USA)
1984		 Northern Dancer Nearctic
Natalma
Native Partner Raise a Native
Dinner Partner
Sweet Habit (IRE)
1976		 Habitat (horse) Sir Gaylord
Little Hut
Sweet Mimosa Le Levanstell
Feemoss (Family: 1-k)[5]

References
  1. "Dilshaan pedigree". Equineline.
  2. "Dilshaan profile". Aga Khan Studs.
  3. "Darshaan – Stud Record". Racing Post.
  4. "Avila – Record By Race Type". Racing Post.
  5. "Rouge Rose – Family 1-k". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  6. "Tattersalls sale October 1999". Racing Post. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  7. "Racing Post Trophy result". Racing Post. 21 October 2000.
  8. Blood-Horse Staff (21 October 2000). "14-1 Maiden Upsets Racing Post Trophy". The Blood-Horse.
  9. "Murtagh grabs Group glory yet again". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 23 October 2000.
  10. "Dante Stakes result". Racing Post. 16 May 2001.
  11. Jon Lees (17 May 2001). "Fallon's Derby dilemma". Racing Post.
  12. HOTSPUR (J A McGrath) (16 May 2001). "Dilshaan shows grit". Daily Telegraph.
  13. Tony Elwes (10 July 2002). "Dilshaan retired to stud duty after joint injury recurs". Racing Post.
  14. Nancy Sexton (12 June 2006). "Dilshaan Stands at Tara Stud". Racing Post.
  15. "Dilshaan and Helissio at Park House Stud". Racing Post. 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  16. "Dilshaan – Stud Record". Racing Post.
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